AUT Journal of Mechanical Engineering

AUT Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Recent Developments in Carbon Based and Graphene Based Thermal Interface Materials: A Review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors
Amol Radhakisan Dhumal 1
Atul Kulkarni 2
Nitin Ambhore 2
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, SPPU, Pune-411037, India.
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, SPPU, Pune-411037, India
10.22060/ajme.2026.24363.6196
Abstract
This review presents a comprehensive and critical evaluation of carbon-based and graphene-based thermal interface materials (TIMs) for advanced thermal management in electronic systems. Conventional TIMs typically exhibit thermal conductivities in the range of 0.1–10 W/m·K, limiting their effectiveness in high-power and miniaturized devices. In contrast, carbon-based TIMs demonstrate significantly enhanced performance, with carbon nanotube (CNT) composites achieving 8–12 W/m·K and graphene-based composites reaching up to 23.2 W/m·K at 60 wt% loading. We provide a detailed comparative analysis of CNT and graphene architectures, emphasizing their exceptional intrinsic thermal conductivities (~3000 W/m·K for CNTs and ~5000 W/m·K for graphene) and addressing practical challenges such as interfacial resistance, dispersion uniformity, and large-scale integration. The review synthesizes fabrication strategies, performance trends, and application-specific considerations, while outlining future directions including hybrid architectures, eco-friendly formulations, and cost-effective, scalable manufacturing techniques. By integrating quantitative comparisons and identifying critical research gaps, this work offers a roadmap for next-generation TIM development aimed at a high-power electronics, telecommunications, and computing systems, where efficient thermal management is essential for reliability, energy efficiency, and long-term operational performance.
Keywords
Contact Resistance
Microelectronics
Electronics Packaging
Phase-Change Materials
Elastic Modulus
Subjects
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AUT Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 10, Issue 3
2026
Pages 255-268